What you don’t want at the end of a week of turmoil, such as
the one which the Salford Red Devils have been through, is to have to visit The
Brick to take on a Champion Wigan Warriors side looking to get back on the
points trail after a stinging loss to the Leeds Rhinos last weekend and their
exit from the Challenge Cup at the hands of Hull FC the week before.
With Salford’s team selection issues, the loss of players to
other clubs, and the financial issues behind the scenes, Wigan were facing a fifty-six-point
handicap on the coupon, but it might have been fairer to handicap them by
making them play with one hand tied behind their backs.
A win would send Wigan fourth, a big win of more than
forty-two points would lift them into third above St Helens.
It was a frustrating opening few minutes for the home side
after having a try ruled out for offside at the kick and then surrendering possession
inside their own half. But on ten minutes a swing of the hips from Junior
Nsemba saw him through a gap before finding Jake Wardle outside in support, the
Wigan winger with a ten-metre uninterrupted run to the line to ground. Harry
Smith hit the far post with his conversion attempt from the touchline.
A reckless tackle from Tyler Dupree saw the Wigan man
sin-binned and taking a ten-minute enforced break. Wigan were playing ‘under
par’ by their usual high standards.
The twelve men extended their lead on twenty-three, Sam
Walters waltzing through a gap in half way before finding Jai Field in support
to canter over in the left corner. Smith found the target with the boot from a
slightly easier angle, Wigan with a 10-0 lead.
Nsemba was the creator for Wardle for the Wigan third on
twenty-six, this one from seventy metres out, Wardle completing the last
thirty. Smith smashed the conversion between the uprights from the touchline,
Salford were tiring, and Wigan were prospering.
On the half hour mark Nsemba grabbed his own try as he span
out of a tackle ten from the line to run home as the Salford tacklers watched.
Smith added the conversion for 22-0, the points in the bag for Wigan, the
Salford resistance crumbling.
A sensational Wigan try on forty-three extended the advantage,
Field showing the Salford defence a clean pair of heels after taking a high
bomb on his own twenty before finding Liam Marshall in support twenty out, the
Wigan winger with a walk-in try down the left. Smith was wide with the conversion.
Bevan French got in on the action on forty-seven after
throwing a dummy on the Salford twenty and dropping the shoulder to step
through an ineffective tackle and round under the sticks. Smith was on target
again for 32-0. Wigan were now scoring at will.
On fifty Wigan scored their scruffiest try of the afternoon,
another long-range effort, with Walters touching down a Wardle pass which had
hit Ryan Brierley’s hand in flight and gone to ground. Smith was off target
with the conversion, Wigan with a 36-0 lead.
Just before the hour mark the Warriors were up to forty
points with expansive left to right play through half a dozen pair of hands,
Zach Eckersley the man on hand to take the final pass to score. Smith added the
conversion from wide for 42-0.
A ninety metre Field sprint to the line took Wigan up to
46-0, and when Smith added his sixth conversion of the afternoon Wigan were two
short of the fifty.
Two minutes from time it was fifty, Wardle completing his hat-trick
as he picked up a bounce pass and ran fifty metres to score. Smith added the
conversion for 54-0.
In the dying seconds Salford had a try ruled out for a
knock-on in the ball steal that led to the try, the clock running down to the
final hooter.
It was always going to be a Wigan win, but Salford did well
to keep their opponents under the handicap set by the bookmarkers. Wigan end
their two-game losing streak, Salford crash to their fifth loss of the season
and will hope for better news during the week as they stagger from crisis to
crisis. Matty Peet may not be happy with the attacking performance, but he will
be pleased that his side shut their opponents out for the full eighty.
Wigan Warriors: Field (2T), Douglas, Eckersley (T), Wardle (3T),
Marshall (T), French (T), Smith (G 7/9), Dupree (SB on 20), Leeming, Thompson,
Nsemba (T), Farrell, Ellis. Subs: Mago, O’Neill, Walters (T), Hill. 18th
Man: Byrne.
Salford Red Devils: Brierley, Connell, Marsters, Vaughan,
Wagstaff, Morgan. Shorrocks, Ormondroyd, Yates, Hill C, Wright, Foster, Hill G.
Subs: Sangare, Chan, Shields, Egan. 18th Man: .
Half-Time: 22-0.
Full-Time: 54-0.
Score Progression: 4-0, (SB), 8-0, 10-0, 14-0, 16-0, 20-0,
22-0: HT: 26-0, 30-0, 32-0, 36-0, 40-0, 42-0, 46-0, 48-0, 52-0, 54-0 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Wigan.
Referee: Chris Kendall.
